Sources tell the site that O'Connell, due to appear in upcoming flicks including "300: Rise of an Empire" and Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken," is "a real contender" for a part in "Episode VII," though just what that part entails is anyone's guess. According to Bleeding Cool, O'Connell has already met with director J.J. Abrams, an encounter that reportedly went over quite well.

Of course, both plot and character descriptions have been scant from Disney, so it's unclear how far away fans are from a confirmed casting announcement. Bleeding Cool reports that its sources are "very dependable" when it comes to "Episode VII" news, so it seems we can bank on O'Connell becoming a more well-known commodity soon, whatever his purported role in the new trilogy may be.